Bad Communication Habits in Supply Chain Management

by Richard C. Wilson on October 15, 2012

As a supply chain management profession, you may find that you spend a lot of time communicating in one form or another with colleagues, subordinates, or customers. It is critical to your success to develop good communication habits. If you want to have good communication habits with your coworkers and customer, you will want to ensure that you have not developed any bad communication habits. If you do find that you have some communication habits that are not so great, you will want to make sure you get on the right start to breaking these habits quickly.

Interrupting – Do you have habit of interrupting your customers before they finish speaking? Do you speak on the phone with colleagues and finish their thoughts or sentences because you are in a hurry to get through the conversation? Either way, this is poor communication habits and you need to stop. Interrupting is rude and an immediate turn-off. No matter whom you are interrupting, in supply chain management, you need to be aware that you are doing that and break the habit immediately. Give your colleague, subordinate or customer the courtesy of being allowed to finish his or her own question or comment, even if you do know the answer already.

Overly Agreeing (or Disagreeing) – Do you continually agree or disagree with your customer from the beginning of their conversation? If you are so concerned with showing your agreement (or disagreement) with your customer that you can’t listen to the customer’s entire problem, you are missing out. Stop and listen and agree or disagree after your customer has had the chance to talk. In supply chain management, it is important to develop the relationship and you can’t do this if you don’t listen.

Multi-Tasking – Are you so focused on your next appointment that you can’t pay attention to your current appointment? This is definitely something that many busy supply chain management professionals find themselves doing; however, it can cost you valuable customer relations, social partnership, and business relationships. Concentrating and planning for your next appointment should be kept for the time before the appointment or in your office, not during your current appointment. As a professional, you own your current appointment the courtesy of your full attention.

Whether you have one or all of these communication bad habits, you will want to make sure you are on the road to recovery. In supply chain management, it is important to have good communication habits. Make certain that you identify any bad communication habits you have developed and start working to break these habits. In supply chain management, effective communication is vital to your success so stopping any bad communication habits can be a key to your success.